Joseph j



(No Model.) K

J. J. GLEASON.

AUTOMATIC BILLIARD REGISTER. No. 301,714. Patented July 8, 1884,

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JOSEPH J. GLEASON,

PATENT Ormea.

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC BlLLlARD-REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 301,714, dated July 8, 1884.

(No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that` I, JOSEPH J. GLEAsoN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Time and Money Registers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a revolving over suitable dia-ls, and a series ofi levers interposed between the movement and the drawers in such a manner as that the removal or replacement of the balls from or into.`

anyone drawer shall, by means of its lever, operate to throw the appropriate index-hand in or out of gear with the moving mechanism, and also in an improved construction and arrangement of the dials, as hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of my improved register. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a 'front view thereof, having the case partially broken away to show the interior. Fig. 4 illustrates one of the movable spindles operating in connection with its levers to throw the index-hand into or out of gear. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the index-dials detached; Fig. 6, a horizontal longitudinal section of the spindle carrying the time-pointers corresponding to each drawer detached, and Fig. 7 a perspective viewon an enlarged scale of one of the bell-cranks with its operating-spring detached.

A represents the case of my improved bilhard-register and time-keeper; B B, a series of drawers mounted in the lower part of the case, and constructed 'each of a depth and width sufficient to receive in a row a set of billiard-balls. The rear end, B,of each drawer is cut away to allow the rearmost ball in the set to project outwardly, the ball being held in this projecting position so long as all the balls of the set are in the drawer by means of a spring, B2, placed within the front end of the drawer, to bear against the forward ball and force the set rearward. Each drawer is provided with a latch or lock, B3, to retain it in place when closed. The bottom of the drawer may bemade sloping toward the front end to facilitate the removal of the balls.

Within the case and above the rear end of the drawers is mounted, in a suitable frame, a clock-movement or train of wheels, C, actuated by a coiled spring, G, and regulated by a scape-wheel and balance or a pendulum. 7o

The main spindle W of this train of wheels projects at each end out beyond its supportingframe, and upon its projecting ends are fitted, respectively, the pinions C2 C,

In the rear of the clock-movement G, and within the case A, a frame, D, is secured,with in which are mounted a series of parallel longitudinally-reciprocating spindles, D D', corresponding in number with the drawers B B, and each of which projects both at the front and rear of the frame D. The end of each spindle projecting neXt to the clock-movement is iitted with a toothed wheel, D2, adapted to mesh into the pinion C2, on the end of the main spindle of the movement when carried forward into line therewith, so as to derive motion therefrom, but which, when the spindle is moved backward through its bearings, will clear the pinion O2 on the moving train and will then remain at rest. Upon the opposite end of each spindle an index-hand, D, is fitted to revolve over a dial-plate, D", (see Fig. 5,) formed upon the rear facefof the frame, and which is in. closed within the case, so that it may be locked up therein. The dials upon this dial-plate` 9 5 may be marked to indicate either the time during which the hands are moving or the amount in dollars and cents properly due for the use of a set of balls during that time. Each index-hand is secured to its spindle by means 10o that when the latter is closed, with its sets of oi" a 1'rietion-eollar, so that while itshallmove with the spindle it may nevertheless be turned thereon iiulepeinlently to admit et' being set. Fach spindle D may be geared to actuate one or more additional spindles, D", each carrying an index-hand to travel over a secondary dial upon the dial-plate l) for the purpose of indicating the number ol" complete revolutions ol' the lirst spindle. rlhe longitudinal movement ol' each spindle and its toothed wheel l)2 is ell'ected in one direction by means ofaspring, E, adapted to engage an annular groove in the body of the spindle. The resiliency of this spring tends to throw the spindle out of gear with the main spindle 'W of the clock-movement into a position of rest. rlhe movement ol" cach spindle in the opposite direction is ei't'ected by means oli' a bent lever, F, (see Fig. 42,) pivotcd to a suitable support below the frame l), the upper arm ol' the lever being made to bear against the spring F ofthe spindle to retract it,while its opposite arm is connected by means oli' a light rod, F', with the outer arm ol'abell-crank, G, pivoted at the rear end of one of the drawers in the lower part ol the case. lhe bell-crank G is pivoied upon a shalt or pin, Il, about which a spiral spring, ll, is coiled, so that the resiliency shall operate todepress the outer arm and acting through the connecting-rods F and the bent lever F, thereby serve to throw forward the spindle engaged by the lever F, so that its toothed wheel D shall engage the pinion C. lCach bellerank is so pivoted with reference to the rear end et' its appropriate drawer as balls in place therein, the surface of the innermost ball projecting through the opening in its rear end will press against the inner or downwardly-projecting arm of the bellcrank, and, overcoming the tension ol the spring H, will force said arm backward and elevate the outer arm, and by means of the connecting-rod F will relieve the spring E from the pressure thereon and allow its .resiliency to come into play to nieve back the spindle engaged thereby, so as to throw its wheel D'l out of gear with the pinion G. rihe lower arm ol" each bell-erank G is preferably, although not necessarily, iitted with a disk or plate, Gv', to allord an extended bearing against which the projecting ball in the drawer may act. llach separate drawer is connected by means ol" a separate bell crank and lever with its appropriate spindle and index-hand, although all el'l the spindles are adapted to gear into and be rotated as described by the trainspindle o lA the one clock-movement or drivingtrain. A recess, M, preferably concaved, formed in the front ofthe case over the clockmovement therein, within which is iixed cen trally a spindle, l, Fig. 6, to project therel'rom at a right angle to the face oi` the case, and upon this iixed spindle is mounted a tubular shaft, K', adapted to rotate upon the spindle, and which is fitted at its inner end with a pinion, 1C', gearing into a pinion, C, upon the end ofl the main spilnlle XV ot' the clock-movement, so as to derive its motion therefrom.

Upon the tubular shalt K are iitted a series of frictional collars, II" l, each carrying an indcx-hand, l", and each adapted to embrace the shalt so closely as to be made to rotate therewith by frictional contact, so that while these friction-eollars allow the hands to be moved back and i'orth around the spindle l, they will insure their revolution in unison with the revolution ol" the shaft K. Behind these hands K" K is placed a dial, L, which may be divided either to denote time or dollars and cents. The number of the index2 hands K K corres ionds with the number el' drawers B in the case-one for each.

In the use ol" my apparatus, the clock-work. being set in motion and the balls being all in place in their respective drawers, the rear ball in each drawer, projecting through the re'L end thereol", will press against the lower arm ol' the spindle, thus disengaged or thrown out olv gear with the driving-train, may new be each set at zero, and they will remain at rest at this point so long as theballs remain in the drawers. If, now, any one ofthe sets of balls be removed from its drawer for use, thereby removing the pressure upon the arm G of its bell-crank, the spring H upon this crank will be lei't i'ree to turn it, and its i'orcc will be brought to bear through the eonnectingrod F and the upper lever, F, against the spring E to overcome it and to force its spindle and toothed wheel QD 'forward into gear with the pinion C2 ol" the driving-t1.ain. rlhe spindle will thus be set in motion and will continue to move until the balls taken from the drawer are replaced, the extent ol" its movement being indicated by the revolution ol" its index-hand over the dial in the rear. Il", when any set ol" balls are thus removed for use, the front index-hand, K", before the large dial L, appropriate to that set, be turned to zero, it will move `forward in unison with the movement oi' the clock-work,

so that the attendant can at any time sec at a t glance how long the particular' set of balls has been used, or, il' the dial be so graduated, the amount due ior their use, the saine being determined by the time during which the balls are out of the drawer. D, if not set to zero alter each usage of the balls, will always indicate the sum of all the intervals of time during which the balls have been used since they were last set, and will therefore form a check for the proprietor over the attendant in charge of the room.

To avoid the shock or strain upon thespin- The index-hands 1) dle which the sudden withdrawal or replacement of the balls might otherwise produce, I

interpose a spring, R, in the length of the connecting-rod F, totake up and ease any sudden pull or pressure thereon. vBy causing the main spindle W of the clock-movement to rotate with the speed desired for the movement ofthe indeX-hands D3, and of said index-hands to the main spindle, so as to impart to the latter a rate of rotation equal to the former, thel main spindle itself may be prolonged to receive the front adjustable index-hands, K4 K4; and the fixed spindle K, the tubular shaft K, and gears Kz and C3 be dispensed with.

It is evident that linstead of causing the spindles of the index-hands to be thrown in and out of gear with the clock-movement by means of a longitudinal reciprocation of the spindles, the spindles may be adapted toremain stationary and to be geared to the clockmovement by means of a frictionclutch or other of the many.wellknown mechanical devices for this end which may be adapted to be moved by the weight or pressure of the balls in the drawer, or of a spring bearing thereon, transmitted thereto through the intervention of suitable mechanism, and that a variety of devices for this purpose will suggest themselves to any skilled mechanic.

I claim as my invention l. The combination, with a receptacle for brilliard-balls and with a suitable clock-movement, of a rotating spindle carrying` an indeX- hand over a suitable dial, and adapted to be automatically thrown into gear with the clockmovement, to rotate in unison therewith by means of avspring or its equivalent, and to be automatically thrown out of gear by the superior weight or pressure of a set of billiardballs placed in said receptacle, or of a spring bearing upon said balls, transmitted to the gearing of the spindle by means of interposed mechanism, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The combination, with a receptacle for billiard-balls, a clock-movement, and an index-hand carried by a spindle automatically @fearing the s indles, b n p va spring or its equivalent, and

thrown into gear with the clock-movement by out of gear therewith by the pressure of the balls placed in said receptacle, of a second index -hand carried by and admitting of independent rotation upon a second spindle geared to said clock-movement, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. The combination, with a series of drawers or receptacles for billiard-balls, a case containing the same, and a clock-movement supported by or upon said case, of a series of index-hands corresponding in number with the receptacles in the case, all mounted upon a common shaft or spindle driven by the clockmovement, to rotate therewith over a common dial-plate, and each of which admits of being moved independently of the other upon said spindle, substantially in the'manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

4. The combination, With a drawer or receptacle for billiard-balls, and with a clockmovement supported in the case or frame carrying said drawer, of a spring in the forward end of the drawer, au opening in the rear thereof, a spring-actuated bell-crank pivoted so that one arm thereof shall bear against said opening when the drawer is closed, a bent lever interposed between the bell-crank, and a spindle adapted to gear with the clock-movement, a connecting-rod coupling the bell-crank and one arm of the bent lever, a spring bearing against theopposite arm of said lever, and adapted to throw the spindle out of gear with the clock-movement when released from the pressure of said lever, and an indexhand mounted upon the end of said spindle, to revolve over a suitable dial, all substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciiicaticn in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH J. GLEASON. 

